


If She Peeked

by Interrobang13



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, My First AO3 Post, What-If, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interrobang13/pseuds/Interrobang13
Summary: “Close your eyes, and don’t peek,” Lee said to a disheartened Jin. She smiled and put her hands over her eyes. Zuko looked around the street and walked closer to the fountain. Figuring that it would only take seven seconds to light all the lanterns, he took a stance and got started, directing orange tongues of flame at every single lantern.What could Lee possibly be doing that would take this long?Jin thought.I hope he’s not doing anything reckless. Maybe I should check just to make sure.__What if Jin saw Zuko lighting the lanterns in Tales of Ba Sing Se?
Relationships: Jin & Zuko (Avatar), Jin/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 99





	If She Peeked

“Close your eyes, and don’t peek,” Lee said to a disheartened Jin. She smiled and put her hands over her eyes. Zuko looked around the street and walked closer to the fountain. Figuring that it would only take seven seconds to light all the lanterns, he took a stance and got started, directing orange tongues of flame at every single lantern.

At this point Jin had been covering her eyes for more than ten seconds. _What could Lee possibly be doing that would take this long?_ Jin thought. _I hope he’s not doing anything reckless. Maybe I should check just to make sure._ She quickly uncovered one of her eyes, just in time to witness “Lee” shooting darts of orange fire towards the lanterns. Jin’s other hand dropped as she watched in shock and awe. _He’s a firebender!_

Zuko smiled a little as he finished lighting the lanterns. He began to speak as he turned around to see Jin’s face. “Okay, now you can…” The word “look” got caught in his throat and died there. His relaxed and content face quickly showed absolute terror. Zuko tried to form words to explain, but all that came out was a strangled “I.. I… ah…”

Then, without warning, he bolted away from the fountain and from Jin. All Zuko could do was run away from the nightmare that was his life. Even as he passed by his apartment, he kept running. He only stopped when he tripped and fell on a small rock after what felt like hours.

 _Where am I?_ Zuko thought as he slowly got up from the ground. _I must have ran all the way across the lower ring. No one would’ve followed me here._ However, as he wiped away the dirt from his tunic, a voice cried out for a name between deep, sharp breaths and loud footsteps.

“Lee, where are you?” Jin called out as she ran, in a tone that could have been interpreted as desperation or anger. “Lee, wait up!” Zuko looked behind him to see Jin’s olive robes flutter as she turned a corner with impeccable speed. Not wanting to face her, he continued to sprint in disgrace.

As he ran, Zuko’s eyes darted across the dull landscape, looking for a way out. After a minute or so of running with Jin not far behind (or are the echoing footsteps just his imagination?) He found an escape in the form of an alleyway between two houses. He put what energy he had left into getting as far ahead of Jin as possible, and then slipping into the walled-in but shadowed alley. _Hopefully Jin thinks I got ahead of her again,_ Zuko thought as he jumped over the wall in one quick, fluid motion.

After sitting down to catch his breath, the banished prince began the long trek to his apartment. As the adrenaline wore off and he replayed the events of the night in his head, Zuko began to cry. He assumed Jin wanted to yell at him for lying to her, and he couldn’t blame her. He knew that even if the rest of his story were true, the simple fact that he could firebend would be more than enough to lose someone’s trust. The opposite would probably work as well, where Jin would trust a nonbending Zuko even as the tale he told of his past unraveled around him.

It was funny to Zuko how little it takes for someone’s opinion of someone else to change. A single word from a ruler to affect the opinion of thousands of subjects, and a whirlwind of flame and a declaration to drive fear into little Lee’s eyes where admiration once was. Jet even tried to attack and expose him, just for heating up cold tea. No matter that most of the nation would have agreed with Zuko about the war plan, or that he saved Lee and put that jerk soldier in his place. Forget the fact that Uncle Iroh only used his fire for something seemingly innocent and indulgent. It didn’t even matter that Jin would have been overjoyed if she remained oblivious about the method to lighting the lanterns. No one would accept him unless he wasn’t a firebender, or unless he captured the avatar, or unless he never shared his opinions.

Zuko’s revelation, along with a broken heart, kept him in a tearful daze that resulted in mere seconds seeming to pass before he bumped into something in front of… _Oh, I’m at the tea shop again,_ Zuko realized as he turned his head to the right. He then turned his head away from the dull brown shop to the object right in front of him. Or rather, a brown-haired girl clad in a simplistic but beautiful olive dress. _Jin._

Zuko’s heart leaped a bit, but he was too numb and tired to have a physical reaction. He sighed out loud, closed his eyes, and prepared his mind for the presumed onslaught. Silence bounced through the air for a small eternity.

Then came a small voice. “Thank you. For the lights. I went back to see them after you jumped that wall. They’re stunning.”

Zuko let out a small gasp while opening his eyes in shock and confusion. Jin continued in earnest, “I should apologize as well. For peeking. And destroying our night together. I’m sorry, Lee.” She let out a small chuckle as she reached for her date’s right hand. Zuko let her grab it, all while various questions and exclamations evaporated in his mouth. All that he managed to croak out was, “It’s Zuko.”

Jin let out another chuckle. “That’s a pretty name,” she said, with no malice in her voice. “I feel like I recognize it though.”

“Oh, I used to be pretty important... in the fire nation,” Zuko replied before biting his lip in regret. He quickly decided to change the topic while he could still compose his words. “Why are you not mad at me? I’m a dirty lying firebender.”

“Well,” Jin sighed, thinking about how to phrase her thoughts. “I’ll admit I’m definitely not a fan of the fire nation, with, ya know.” She gestured broadly, still clasping Zuko’s hand. “Nor am I a fan of lying. But I know that people come to Ba Sing Se for a fresh start, an escape from the war. It’s not the best place in the world, but it’s better than being a homeless refugee out there. I met plenty of criminals while my family was on our way here, all looking to start over for better or for worse. You’re a lot like them in many ways, and unfortunately a lot of people aren’t very forgiving, so lying makes sense. Especially when you’re from the fire nation, I imagine.

“I also know that there’s both beauty and destruction in fire. That’s a concept you probably have a good grasp on, isn’t it?” Jin gave a slight nod towards Zuko’s scar, and Zuko gave a firm nod in return. “Well I think it could be applied to all the elements. A refreshing breeze becomes a devastating tornado, a surfable wave morphs into an unyielding tsunami, a pretty mountain can unleash a horrible avalanche, and a life giving fire can burn down a forest with ease. I’ve seen all of these while I was traveling, Zuko. Each and every element can and has been used for both good and evil, in nature and by benders. Tonight, you, Previously-Important Zuko of the Fire Nation, used fire for good. I don’t know a thing about your past or what drove you away from your home, but you have potential to use your fire and whatever influence you may have in the fire nation for the betterment of the whole world, or even one single person. Just like you did tonight. Which is exactly what matters to me.”

Jin paused for a few seconds to see if Zuko wanted to say anything, but all he did was smile as he tried to blink away tears. “Now,” Jin continued, smiling broadly. “I have something to give you, and all I ask is that you walk away and don’t run. If you want a second date, or if you want to talk, then I’m available. If not, then that’s alright too.” With that, she kissed Zuko. The two of them locked lips and embraced for several seconds, before letting go. Jin smiled at Zuko, who smiled in return, whispered “thank you,” and then walked slowly away. He could already hear Uncle Iroh’s response to the night and the unending talk about life and destiny that would soon grace his ears.

Oddly enough, even though Zuko didn’t want to believe that he had the capacity to help the avatar, his entire self was grateful to have someone that believed in him who wasn’t Uncle Iroh. A small part of himself even hoped that Jin’s words would come true.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

A few months passed, and Zuko was back in Ba Sing Se, this time to oversee repairs to the city as Fire Lord when he wasn’t with the avatar and his friends. Builders, hailing from both the fire nation and the earth kingdom, were working tirelessly with all the supplies and tools Zuko could spare for this endeavor.

“You know,” Uncle Iroh mused, holding a cup of hot tea while observing the builders on the scaffold. “If you had told me a year ago that fire nation and earth kingdom citizens would happily work together towards rebuilding the walls of Ba Sing Se, I would have told you to stop drinking your tea, lest whatever is in it be poisonous.” As if on cue, an earth bender on the ground began to bend a brown clay mixture into the shape of a brick. He then kept it suspended off the ground as a firebender began to bake it with red hot flame.

Zuko smiled. “Yea, it really is unbelievable. Jin must be enjoying this as well.” The words came out of his mouth without Zuko even thinking about it. His smile quickly faded from his face, replaced by a downcast look.

“Come to think of it,” Uncle Iroh said, noticing Zuko’s demeanor. “Jin probably hasn’t left Ba Sing Se. She has family here after all, and you’re allowed to travel anywhere in the city you like. Maybe you could pay her a visit?”

“Yea right,” Zuko responded tensely. “Hi Jin. Sorry for invading your city, betraying your trust, and making everyone think the avatar was dead, you want to go out for lunch?” He finished his mock greeting with a scoff.

Iroh frowned. “You doubt Jin’s ability to forgive, even though she’s already proven to be the forgiving type, not to mention in love with you. Your past is filled with horrible things, Zuko, but if you don’t forgive yourself, then your future will be dictated by the horribleness instead of the wonderful. Especially since for you this means locking yourself from others, placing your own insecurities into the forms of your friends. Jin may react negatively, but you cannot assume that, because possibilities are never absolutes.”

This made Zuko perk up a little bit, and after a few minutes of thinking, began to walk towards a familiar street, appearing confident, with Iroh following at a distance. A mere minute later, he was at the doorstep of the shabby house that Jin’s family lived in just a few months ago. With his heart beating far too fast for comfort, his mind was screaming at him that it wasn’t too late to run. Ignoring the thought, he took a breath and knocked.

The door creaked open, and inside the frame was Jin, with the same hairstyle and wearing what looked to be the same olive dress. “Hello - oh, hi Zuko! Or should I say, Now Quite Important Fire Lord Zuko?”

There was a short, pregnant pause, before Jin continued with, “I… didn’t know you were in town. You’d think there would be a city-wide announcement about newly crowned fire nation royalty coming to visit, especially with the construction going on, but apparently not.”

Zuko chuckled awkwardly. “So…” he started. “I, uh, well… I felt like… um…” He stammered for a solid couple of seconds before he managed to string together a few words. “I know I’m… there’s kind of a spotlight on me... and… I know I did some real… crummy things and I… know that no one here wants to get anywhere near me but… I figured I kind of wanted to cash in that second date? Oh, uh, only if you want to, of course, I totally understand otherwise.” The Awkwardness Lord chuckled some more while dread filled his mind.

 _Uncle’s right,_ Zuko thought as he pushed those misgivings away. _I’ll never get any social interactions done like this._

Jin smiled, having already made up her mind. “You chose the right thing in the end, and I can see that you continue to do so, even if it’s something small like checking in on the builders. I know you want to fix your mistakes and help restore balance to the world, or more specifically, Ba Sing Se. You’re a good person, Zuko, so yes, I would love to go on a second date with you.” With that said, she walked up and passionately kissed her love. Zuko happily kissed back, this time with no doubts or thoughts of running away. These thoughts definitely weren’t gone forever, but Jin’s love and kindness kept them at bay, allowing for Zuko to live in the present. At least for a little while.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly think Zuko would be better off with Jin than Mai or any other character really, don't @ me.  
> I hope you enjoyed my first Ao3 post, and I hope you have a good day!


End file.
